U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 28, 1998

Bill Lunde

BILL LUNDE: It's great to be here and still in the tournament. It was a lot of fun out there today. Made a few key putts at times that saved par, and it really helped me pull through.

BILL LUNDE: I didn't play with Molder today. I played with Landry Mahan, in fact, I played with him early in the summer. I've seen him through college at Oklahoma State, but I played with him in Niagara Falls.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, I -- he got in trouble off the tee, and had to chip out and left it short, and I kind of was trying to hit it to the right of the pin and actually pulled it a little bit, and just off the green on the left, and hit a good chip and won the first hole.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, on 3 there he makes a good birdie, and back to even. Then we go to 4, he once again gets in trouble off the tee. I actually got a pretty lucky break, and it looked like it was going to go in the bunker or in the rough. And it landed in the rough and jumped out on the fairway. He had a chip out again on the fairway, and I laid up there with a 6-iron, and he hit his third shot down there probably 40 yards short of the green, and I played kind of conservative the third shot, just getting it kind in the middle of the green to the left, getting too cute with it you could end up in the bunker. So I kind of knocked it on and 2-putted for par, and he made bogey. So, I won that hole.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, off the tee, I was up first, and I hit a good tee shot right down the middle, and he hit in the water there. Once again, I played conservative. The pin is on the right, and I was just right in -- trying to hit right in the middle of the green and 2-putt for par, I thought that had a good chance to win, I thought --

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, that was a big one. I was off to a good start, and I think I was one up at the time. We go to 6 and I have the tee. And I kind of come out of the shot and hit it long and right of the green, and it wasn't exactly where you want it to be. And it was a tough shot. He was on there. He had a good shot in the middle of the green with a pretty easy par. And I just tried to tell myself to give myself a chance to try to make par out of this. And I hit a pretty good shot, left myself probably 20 feet. And I hit a good putt and it went in. It was a big boost for me at the time. It was looking like I was going to lose the hole, and in fact came out with a tie, so that was a good hole for me.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, I felt good going to that hole, and when something like that happens, the momentum builds. That's like -- I consider that almost better than a birdie, making a great par save like that. Not only does it help my momentum, but it kind of hurts him. Because he's like, he's dead, we're going to be even going into the 7th, and in fact we come out and I'm still one up going to 7. So it was the best thing that could happen to me at the time.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, I had a long putt, left-to-right, and just trying to put a good stroke on it, ran it by a little bit, for a second. I thought it was going in, and it ended up probably 6, 7 feet by the hole. And it was just inside right edge. And I just didn't hit it hard enough. It broke off at the end. So I ended up 3-putting. That was disappointing. I'm trying to make a lot of pars, but if I 2-putted --

BILL LUNDE: Yes, I tried to put the 3-putt behind me. And hit a good tee-shot down the middle, I think I had 146 to the pin, and hit a 9-iron in about a foot or something like that, and he was in trouble getting off the tee, he hit it in the front bunker. He ended up making par. But I was in there close for birdie. After bouncing back like that, I lose 9 with a 3-putt, it kind of bothered me, and I come back with a great birdie, so that keeps the momentum going.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, I hit a good shot there. That was the best shot I hit in that hole all tournament. I don't think I've hit the green there yet. And I hit a good shot, had like 15 feet. He pulled his tee shot and hit kind of a poor chip. And it looked like a needed a 2-putt. But I wanted to make the putt. Anytime you make birdie it builds confidence, you start putting well, and you hit the ball better.

BILL LUNDE: 13 was similar to 6, because we're both in the middle of the fairway. And I tried to do a little too much with that shot, trying to hit it real close, because it was still tied at the time. But I left it in the bunker short, and the pin was in the front left, and I'm in the bunker on the left, which is not the place to go to be. I was trying to give myself a chance, he had a good chance of making birdie and I was trying to give myself a chance of making par, and hit a good bunker shot at like 15, 18 feet, and it was just like 6, I hit a good putt and make a big par there, and once again it looks like he's going to win the hole and I come out with a tie. So it was just like 6.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, 14 I was just kind of thinking I'd take two ties, the last two holes and get out of here. But he got in trouble to the left off the tee. I thought he hit a great shot from there, and it happened to hit too far, a little over the green, and it wasn't a good place to be where the pin was and ended up chipping it all the way to the front and makes a great par, just to stay alive in the match, it was awesome. Yesterday I kind of had a similar situation, where if I make this putt the match is over on 17, I'm going to play Charles now. I have been close to a lot of birdies, it was a good chance of going in, and sure enough it went in and ended the match. I hit a 4-iron, sand wedge on 14.

BILL LUNDE: About 18 feet.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah. At the beginning of the week I was struggling with ball-striking and putting. As each day has gone on, I've felt more comfortable, and doing some -- practicing a lot after I'm playing. And each day it feels a little better. So I was looking forward to going out here and playing today, because I knew it was going to be different. I was coming out with confidence, feeling like I could hit the ball, and make some birdies, which is tough out here. I hope I keep building on that confidence.

BILL LUNDE: I've played with -- I don't know how many times. But quite often through tournaments in college. We're friends and joke around, mess around on the range, he helps me out with my swing when I'm struggling. He's a good friend, and it will be a good match.

BILL LUNDE: Long. He kills it. 14, par-4, he's hitting driver at it. And I think he's getting it there, awfully close. But it will be a good match. It will be fun.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah.

BILL LUNDE: We were on 16 and I was one down, and I just won 15. So maybe I can still pull this out, I've been struggling all day. And I got to 16, and I think we both hit all right tee shots. We were both in the fairway, and I left it 30-footer or something, he had 25 feet or something like that. And I just had a feeling someone was going to make it. And of course it wasn't me, and he made it. So I was two down with two to play. I thought should I leave the tournament, should I stick around and watch. So it was a pretty big swing. And on 17 he got into some trouble, and I won the hole, and we went to 18. I hit a bad tee shot. And he hits like a worse tee shot. But I got a fortunate break, being in the fairway bunkers in the right. The rough is terrible. I hit a good bunker shot there to probably 15, 20 feet from the fairway, there. And he kind of had a tree in his way, and left it just short of the green in the rough. And it was a tough chip and left it quite a bit short. And I ended up having to 2-putt to go an extra two holes. I got a break on the first extra hole. I hit my tee shot right, just about out-of-bounds. He sits perfectly in the middle of the fairway and hits a big pull shot. And I kind of did you have it down over the creek a little bit. We're both not sitting too good. I knew he was -- if he was going to make par, so I tried to get it on the green, and he left his chip short, and we ended up pushing the hole with a bogey, we tied, and the next hole we're still alive. And hit a great wedge shot from the rough, and hit it to about two or three feet to win the match. I was in awe at the turn of events the last four holes. Every time I thought I was down, something happened and I would be back in there. It was one of those crazy things that happen out there.

BILL LUNDE: No, it was on No. 2.

BILL LUNDE: Yeah, I've had some fortunate breaks. That first match the player is out there on fire shooting five under on the front 9. And we both kind of struggled. But to win a tournament like this, it takes a lot of luck. It's not all skill out there. You've got to have some good breaks, and make some putts. So I feel like I've had some of those breaks. I was sweating it out, wondering if I was going to make the cut at 64, and get in the first match and it looks like I'm going do lose. And I'm trying to revamp my plane, seeing when I can get out of here. And yesterday was big for me, I came out with new life and worked hard after the first match, just tried to get some stuff going, and yesterday I started to play good. So my confidence has gotten a lot better. So I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

BILL LUNDE: No, I didn't. We had the opportunity to come over in the afternoon after we played the tournament in the morning. But I was busy with that tournament. I was trying to give it my best, and I didn't think it would be best to play a tournament in the morning, come out here and play 18, and go home and sleep, and get up and play there in the morning.

BILL LUNDE: I don't know. Rochester has been pretty good to me. It's pretty cold in the winter. I like the West Coast a lot. It's a great town, and everybody seems to be great. Maybe second home.

BILL LUNDE: A little bit. But I think the big favor was John Kircher, he's from around here. Maybe a little, but I think it's more the family, I'm staying with and some friends of theirs. Those are the people that are really supporting me. And anyone else after that, that's great. That's awesome. It's always fun when you get a crowd out there following you and pulling for you. You make a good shot or hit a good putt they clap. It gets you adrenaline going, and makes it more fun. All those years of practicing are paying off, getting a little notoriety, or whatever you want to call it, but it's just great.

BILL LUNDE: A lot. Last year was the first year I'd actually made my like traveling, full-time traveling squad for UNLV, so that was a big step. And I played in a lot of tournaments for the summer. You've got to be ready to struggle in these tournaments. They're tough golf courses. The rough is tough. The weather, same thing happened in Cog Hill last year. You had a lot of rain, and you have to be patient and willing to wait. And just get through the bad times. Like last year, I went through all that bad weather is at Cog Hill and left a few days later. And at home laying on the couch, and watching the amateur, and the weather was perfect for them. And that's not how I remember the golf course. I'm sure there are some guys saying that right now. It was a big turnaround. And being a part of the national championship team for UNLV, was a great honor, I learned a lot playing for Coach Knight and I learned a lot from him.

BILL LUNDE: Well, this was my last amateur tournament, and I'm going to try to make a living now. But the crazy thing is I don't really want to think ahead, but if somehow I could qualify for one of these major tournaments, I'm going to have to stay amateur, so I'm going to have to find out what to do with my life for a year. I'm trying to think about that and just go out there and play one match at a time. You can turn pro anytime, you can only be amateur once. And if I get an opportunity to play in the Majors that's an opportunity of a lifetime. But as of right now, this is my last amateur tournament, and from there, who knows. But take it one day at a time.

BILL LUNDE: I think National Championship this year with UNLV, it was an awesome experience. Golf is an individual support, but when you get a chance to play as a team, you don't get that often, and that's something a lot of people don't get to experience. I think that's one of most memorable thing I'll remember from amateur golf. This is a close second.

BILL LUNDE: I was our captain. We had some great players on our team, but I wouldn't say I was the best.